Apart from the Pixel C and Google’s own Nexus devices, the Shield is one of the only tablets out there running the latest version of Android Marshmallow. It’s a mercifully clean build, too — the software is almost untouched save for a few preloaded Nvidia apps, most of which you’ll actually want. If you’re into gaming, that is — basically all of Nvidia’s software efforts are concentrated around building a premium gaming experience atop Android.
This initiative has three prongs: native and optimized Android games, Steam game streaming, and the GeForce Now cloud service. For all of these, you’re going to want a separate game controller, and you’re probably going to want Nvidia’s own; I had little luck getting my regular Steelseries Bluetooth controller to work, with erratic results on almost every game. Nvidia sent along a Shield controller, though, which is a weird-looking, great-feeling hulk of a thing with all the controls you’d expect plus dedicated Android buttons and comfortable rests for your fingers. The $59.99 Shield Controller works over direct Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth, which means it pairs very easily by using an app and offers great performance, but it’s only compatible with the Shield Tablet and Shield Android TV box.
Android has often felt like a second-rate mobile gaming platform compared to iOS, but Nvidia is doing its best to change that — for Nvidia device owners, at least. Through the Shield Hub app you can find a wide selection of games tested and optimized to work on the Shield Tablet, Shield Android TV, and the original Shield portable, a few of which are exclusive to Nvidia’s platform. Valve megahits Portal, Half-Life 2, and Half-Life 2: Episode 1 have full, solid Android ports that only work on Nvidia devices, for example; I played through Episode One and it was an impressive cut above what you’d expect from a mobile game. (Episode Two is available only for the Shield Android TV.) Other button-heavy games like Titan Souls and Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number worked great on the Shield tablet and controller.
Nvidia’s K1 processor is more than capable of powering mobile games, but two more services are designed to let you run full-on PC games on the tablet’s screen. The first is called GameStream and requires a PC with an Nvidia GPU; it’s similar to Sony’s PS4-to-phone Remote Play streaming feature, beaming Steam games from the more powerful machine to the more portable. It worked pretty well in my testing, though the signal quality did degrade a fair bit when moving to another floor.
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